Nine Patch Quilt Block - Easy to Make, Easy to Use

A nine patch quilt block is just about the easiest block you can make. It also has the benefit of being one of the most versatile. So, what is it and how can you use it to turn your scraps into someting beautiful? Let's find out.

What Is It?

It's really very simple. A nine patch quilt block is made up of nine parts. These can be the same size or not. What makes the block is the contrast in values between the sections.

There will usually have light and dark value. Now, these nine sections can have all the same color like when you're quilting a basic Irish Chain or They can have a variety of colors like the Puss in Boots block.

How to Make It

Strip Piecing is your best bet. For a standard 9 patch if you want a 6 inch block, you'll need to cut out 3 - 2.5 inch strips of your dark or bright fabrics and 3 - 2.5 strips of your light fabric. Create 2 strip sets:

Dark-Light-Dark

Light-Dark-Light

Cut the strip sets 2.5 inches times the width of the fabric Sew them the in sets following ways to create your block:

Dark-Light-Dark

Light-Dark-Light

Dark-Light -Dark

How to Use it

Alternate with plain blocks

As mentioned above, you can create a basic Irish chain quilt. That is you alternate it with a block of the background fabric. The main color pop and it looks like there's a chain. Another option is just to alternate the block with a plain block of the same size

Alternate with Half-Square Triangles

This is something really simple that can pack a punch. First, look in your stash to see what you have a lot of. should be a dark color and a light color. Make half-square triangles blocks. Then make 9 patch quilt blocks that coordinate with these colors.

It works best if they fall between the color ranges and are in the same color family. By the same family I mean brights, country colors, civil war reproductions, that kind of thing.

You do not need the same fabric line, but you do need the same color family. As I've mentined before on my scrap quilting page after you have created a few projects you will notice that you gravitate toward a certain type of fabric and this will not be a problem.

Sashing

Sashing is also an option. Don't have a lot of time and need a quick charity quilt? It doesn't get much easier than this. Instead of cutting 2.5 inch strips for your 9 patches, cut your strips 4.5 inches. That will finish as a 12 inch block. Set 3 blocks x 4 blocks with sashing and you've got yourself a quilt top.

Setting on Point

You can also set this on point using setting triangles.

Tools in Your Toolbox

A nine patch quilt blockis a good quilt block to have in your quilting toolbox. It's easy, lends itself to strip-piecing and versatile.

If you are a by-the-book quilter you can use this block and if you are a scrap/stash quilting who likes to quilt you can use it too. Simple doesn't mean boring. The only limit really is your imagination.

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